How many atheists on this forum have studied more than the christian bible?

Question

what do you know about other religions and philosophers, before and after Jesus? who is your favorite sage?

Answer 1

i'm not an atheist, i'm a pagan, but i was an atheist once. i like your term, "sage". i think it fits quite well. having been an atheist, i'm gonna answer.

not in any particular order:

ghandi
mother theresa
mohammed
socrates, and his plato
irael rigardie
elaina blavastky
mary magdelene
JFK
the idea of buddha
jt (my hubs, you'd believe me if you knew him, sage supreme)
children
john the baptist
kurt vonnegut
dylan thomas
bob dylan
jerrie jones (philosophy teacher)

Answer 2

Good question!

I spent about 30 years "searching" for my own path. I studies the texts of all the major religions - some for many years. I was particularly interested in The Quaran and still feel it is a valuable guide to how people should live, like the Bible is.

I had two lovely ladies from the Jehovah's Witnesses come to my house, once a week, for six months, before they admited I was not "able to make a leap of faith".

I was a Wiccan for a while, but could not accept the personification of the Sun and Moon as God and Goddess so felt that I was being a bit of a fraud.

Finally, about five years ago, I began to study meditation as a way of coping with a very stressful time of my life. Through this, I took up more and more study of the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path.

Here, at last, was a philosophy that "felt right"! There is no God figure, no priests to intercede with anyone on my behalf and only the guidance and loving kindness of The Buddha and his subsequent (still living, some of them!) decendants.

This Path, forbids ANY VIOLENCE - to insects, animals, people, or anything else that lives. It promotes Right Thinking, Right Actions and will lead to Enlightenment - if you follow the path and stick to the instructions left by The Buddha.

It is the Path for scientists and sceptics alike. No blind faith involved, merely a taking responsibility for one's own life and actions. It is, to me, the only LOGICAL "religion".

But, hey, I'm not here to convert anyone! Buddhists don't have missionaries!

So, anyway, favourite Sages: The Buddha, The Dalai Lama and my Late Dad

Answer 3

I studied the Bible for 14 years (in Bible class). I studied the Bible, Koran, Buddhist writings and the Upanishads for 10 years at school and university. I have studied Taoist, Buddhist and other Hindu texts personally.

I am basically an atheist and have no favourite sage but I love anything to do with the Tao. I also like Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung and many others who have explained these for a modern audience.

Answer 4

Absolutely. To be truly educated, one must try to understand what other people believe. Understanding is the basis of getting along, isn't it? So besides the christian bible, I've done the Bagavad Gita, the Koran, several buddist texts, the Gnostic Gospels, the history of Rastafari, the Urantia Book, Zen works, etc...

I even did EST in the 70's

The fun part is checking out the churches! Some of these folks really party down!

I have been, in my years, to Moslem Mosques in Paris, Judaic Temples in New Jersey, LDS services in Salt Lake City, Pentacostal Services in Omaha Nebraska, Baptist Churches in Harlem NY, Buddist temples in Hawaii, Shinto shrines in Japan, Grateful Dead Concerts everywhere, Catholic Churches when my Mom made me (twice a year) and Rastafarian Temples in Hawaii.

It was all good. Not a one of them better than the other. I'm not a big fan of organized spirituality (it should be a personal thing rather than a public one where being seen is more important than being there). Some of them were VERY entertaining, like the people speaking in tongues at the Pentacostal service and the singing and clapping with the Baptists. The Catholic thing was always creepy and smelled funny.

My experiences have left me with the gut-level feeling that "God" is simply all of us working, living and playing together nicely.

"Praying" is letting the world know what you need and being thankful when someone or something here on earth provides it.

Satan is the opposite of all that.

I've never seen evidence of a "Supreme Being" and it has occurred to me that it would be a silly or sadistic "Supreme Being" who would create me with logic and reason--and then ask me to forgo their use in order to allow me to "believe" in itself.

If people need fairy tales and fictional characters to get them through this life and give them hope for a better tomorrow (or an afterlife) I would never be one to take that security blanket away from them. If it works for them and helps them be better people who live and work and play nicely with the rest of us--that's fantastic. If the fairy tales cause them to be judgmental of others and not play nicely--that's their "demons" at work.

You don't need a church to know or practise any of this.

My Favorite Sage? A guy named Werner Erhardt.

Hope that helps your spiritual quest.

Answer 5

I've studied a few and am currently slogging thru the Koran but it's very slow going.

Hard to define "sage" but I'd go with Carl Sagan or Daniel Quinn.

Answer 6

How many atheists on this forum have actually studied the Christian Bible?
Y!A is quickly dispelling the myth that most atheists are well-versed in Christianity.

Answer 7

Not many... not many.
Most athiests I have incountered think that Jesus is God, and think usually within the confines of that religion and believe that every religious person believes that Gods are actual beings that live in the clouds... rather then personifications, and other beliefs.

Answer 8

I have briefly studied the mythology of Mithras, the god who the fictional character "Jesus" was based on.

Answer 9

I have.

Jesus was NOT the original source of anything he allegedly said. It ALL came from earlier philosophers like Confucius, Socrates, etc.

Answer 10

I have read about a great many. Favorite? Are you joking? What is my favorite fairy tale? You are too funny, in a sick sort of way. Ha, ha.